The Cadets are being sued by a former member for alleged sexual abuse in the 80s

[TenHut]

40 years later??? No.

[IllianaLancerContra]

9 minutes ago, TenHut said:

40 years later??? No.

As part of MeToo & clergy sex scandal New Jersey extended Statute of Limitations for civil SA complaints.   There was a discussion during hopacalypse that organizations (Cadets/YEA and their legal successors) would be at risk to this kind of suit.  
 

And YES 40 years later.  This kind of stuff can mess you up for life.  Especially when organizations failed at the time of the events fail to support the victim and do the right thing.  

[Jeff Ream]

3 hours ago, keystone3ply said:

Under latest amended compliant statement #36, G Hopkins was named as an agent or employee who knew the abuse was about to take place & didn’t do anything to prevent. 😳

yikes

[Tim K]

45 minutes ago, IllianaLancerContra said:

Anyone want to discuss the difference between mediation & arbitration?

I’m not sure if the same principle applies to this case, but I know of a lawsuit where neglect of an elderly patient in a nursing home was alleged. The nursing home had a prior owner. The new owners admitted the neglect may have taken place but were not deemed responsible and a settlement was negotiated. The nursing home did not admit wrongdoing but did admit it may have occurred. In the case of Cadets, they were under the umbrella of YEA then not, they went from Garfield to Bergen County to Allentown to Erie. You had George Hopkins’ predecessor, then Hopkins, Scott Litzenburg, Denise Bonfiglio, and Vicki Ray as directors, not to mention all the folks associated with the corps past and present. Determining who knew what when, who swept it under the rug and kept sweeping would be a mess. I wonder if Cadets admitted it likely happened but the current corps is not responsible and agreed to a cash settlement. To specifically guess at an answer to your question, Arbitration is probably a group of lawyers negotiate a settlement. Mediation it is probably a judge who decides. 

[Jeff Ream]

5 minutes ago, Tim K said:

I’m not sure if the same principle applies to this case, but I know of a lawsuit where neglect of an elderly patient in a nursing home was alleged. The nursing home had a prior owner. The new owners admitted the neglect may have taken place but were not deemed responsible and a settlement was negotiated. The nursing home did not admit wrongdoing but did admit it may have occurred. In the case of Cadets, they were under the umbrella of YEA then not, they went from Garfield to Bergen County to Allentown to Erie. You had George Hopkins’ predecessor, then Hopkins, Scott Litzenburg, Denise Bonfiglio, and Vicki Ray as directors, not to mention all the folks associated with the corps past and present. Determining who knew what when, who swept it under the rug and kept sweeping would be a mess. I wonder if Cadets admitted it likely happened but the current corps is not responsible and agreed to a cash settlement. To specifically guess at an answer to your question, Arbitration is probably a group of lawyers negotiate a settlement. Mediation it is probably a judge who decides. 

i believe they tried to say it was the previous model of management( aka YEA since the Cadets of 83 became what was known as YEA), but were denied. at least if i am reading it right.

[greg_orangecounty]

In retrospect, it was probably never a good idea to mix kids and adults in close quarters and on the road for weeks at a time. 

 

 

[greg_orangecounty]

2 hours ago, IllianaLancerContra said:

Anyone want to discuss the difference between mediation & arbitration?

Arbitrators listen to facts and evidence from both sides and render a binding decision.  Mediators try to get each side to come to a mutual agreement.  

 

[Tim K]

1 hour ago, Jeff Ream said:

i believe they tried to say it was the previous model of management( aka YEA since the Cadets of 83 became what was known as YEA), but were denied. at least if i am reading it right.

You’re probably reading it correctly and how lawyers on both sides handle things could make a big difference. One difference with the nursing home case is that under the old management it was nicknamed “Elderhell” because it was a pit. Under new management it has become a state of the art facility known for its rehab units and care for people with dementia. It is a very different facility. To argue previous management, Cadets might have trouble convincing a judge it’s an essentially different organization.

[skevinp]

To what extent can they turn to the individual perpetrators for financial liability?

[ykw]

7 hours ago, Boss Anova said:

This is such a jolt . This will take a bit for me too digest this news  . But my first reaction is not a good one . It’s no secret the Cadets finances coming out of the Hopkins saga , then Covid lockdowns were on pretty shaky grounds .  Now this . My sense , sadly , is that a Corps does not come back from this . Cadets likely finished 2023 still in some level debt  . If they have to pay legal bills going way back ,plus  upcoming legal bills , then a lawsuit settlement of some number , then that would require selling off whatever current tangible , physical assets they might have …

   Oh Man . Don’t see how a Corps comes back from this . Taking a season off won’t solve this , imo . So sad . It really is . But if disbandment forever is the price a Corps pays for apparent  sexual assault of a minor , then it was not finances that did them in , it regrettably was a couple of untrustworthy sleazy adults  that buried this iconic 89 year old Drum Corps . So many wonderful and decent people came thru the Cadets over these 89 years too , that I feel so sad to learn of this fir them too  … and of course  it goes without saying , sad that a minor had their trust in adults shattered in such a devious way as an impressionable and vulnerable youngster while marching Drum Corps in the Cadets   .😥

FHNSAB?   I guess not.